Help! Question about guns!

[kandrathe]

However, judging by these charts I'm seeing, there is much to be said for the caliber of a weapon versus the damage output. Interesting.

I would expect, much like engine power, that designers/engineers attempt to get the maximum "productivity" out of their design. They will push the power to the capability limits of their design.

Unless, there is some reason for not doing so. For example, I had a dear friend (now dead of natural causes), who was a gun smith. He lived in an apartment complex, and so for his .357 "home defense" ammo, he used a special bullet like the Glaser safety slug. Otherwise, you'd risk the lives of all your neighbors if stray bullets cut through the walls.